Does Lindenwold Mayor and Council This Is Acceptable?
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LINDENWOLD — A husband and wife have sued a longtime councilman here claiming he will not stop harassing them because they are an interracial couple.
Alfred and Deborah Patterson allege Councilman Joseph Strippoli has racially discriminated against them since they moved into their Elm Avenue home in 2003.
The suit accuses Strippoli of using his power as a government official to single out the couple by calling police to their home an estimated 17 times and accusing them of violating township code on more than 15 occasions.
The calls range from noise complaints to violations for having a basketball hoop on their curb.
The lawsuit asserts due to the “indifference” and “reckless nature” of Strippoli’s harassment the Patterson family is seeking punitive damages in the amount of $100,000.
The legal representative for the borough, Salvatore Siciliano, did not return calls for comment. The Pattersons also gave no comment.
According to the lawsuit, Strippoli’s home on Linden Avenue has a direct view of the Patterson’s backyard. He is accused of asking Deborah Patterson “why she had to go and marry someone like her husband,” who is African American.
“The constant harassment, discrimination, intimidation, and selective enforcement have become so bad that the plaintiffs are afraid to use their back yard,” the lawsuit states.
Thomas Bruno, the Patterson’s attorney, said the harassment of their clients has accelerated over the last year.
“They just want this harassment to stop,” said Bruno. “Whatever they try to do to ameliorate or appease the borough, they keep moving the goal post.”
According to the lawsuit, this year Strippoli had code enforcement officials sent to the Patterson home five times, including once for noise caused by a weed whacker. The Patterson family has also been cited twice for the basketball hoop violation.
“Five other non-interracial homes in the plaintiff’s neighborhood currently have basketball hoops on the curb and have never been cited for a violation,” the lawsuit states.
Stripploli has also allegedly tried to change borough ordinances for “the express purpose of causing more violations” against the Patterson family.
The lawsuit states Strippoli attempted to prevent Alfred Patterson from conducting a business from his house, which included selling used items that he stores in a trailer.
“The ongoing racial discrimination and intimidation has become so bad that the borough code enforcement and Lindenwold police officers are refusing to do Councilman Strippoli’s bidding and go out to the Patterson’s home,” according to the lawsuit.
Some have even been threatened with expulsion or discipline if they do not go out to the home, the lawsuit states.
Bruno said that in court they plan to present witnesses, such as former officials and employees of the borough, who can attest to Strippoli’s exploitation of power.
“They have to deal with the bureaucracy of the borough and the abuse of authority and their only recourse is the court system,” said Bruno. “It has become more and more frustrating for them to be able to do the right thing.”
Strippoli is a retired bowling proprietor and was mayor of Lindenwold from 1988 to 1991. He was re-elected to council in 1999.
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